Do you breastfeed your baby to sleep? Lots and lots of mums do. Newborn babies seem to do little more than feed and sleep. Sometimes they only feed a short time and they are fast asleep, other times they are sleeping and feeding at the same time. In those early days breastfeeding and sleeping are closely linked and, because babies are so tiny, it is accepted that this is what happens. But as babies start to grow parents start to doubt whether this is the right thing to do.

Babies and parents love a game of peekaboo. It is something we do quite often in baby classes and I love watching how the babies develop and engage with the game. They start off a bit bemused by it, although we use coloured scarves so maybe they are wondering why their world has changed colour. Then it becomes fun. You put the scarf over them and pull it off with a big smile. They smile and giggle back at you. Soon they start to pull the scarf off themselves and then they

There are so many reasons you might be considering reducing breastfeeds with your baby. Some of the common reasons are; when your baby is eating more food, to return to work, introducing some regular bottle feeds, working towards stopping breastfeeding. Stopping or reducing breastfeeds can be a tough choice, there are many emotions caught up in feeding your baby so it isn’t something to rush into. Think about your options and seek support if you need it. For example women c

When you first see those lines on your pregnancy test it can be hard to know what to do. Your immediate reaction will be very dependent on your circumstances of course but in terms of the practicalities what needs to happen and when? Traditionally women would visit the GP to ‘confirm’ the pregnancy and arrange all the referrals for the midwife and scans. Now the home testing kits are so reliable that you don’t need to visit your GP, you can self-refer usually on the hospita

If you are starting out breastfeeding your baby there are lots of things it is helpful to know. Often new parents find themselves surrounded by family and friends with more experience of formula feeding than breastmilk, and this can lead to some confusion because babies fed with formula can behave quite differently to breast fed babies. If you aren’t aware of these difference it can lead to more doubts and worries about whether you are producing enough milk or getting feeding

When you have just had a baby your hormones are in a massive shift. Things are changing significantly as your body moves from pregnancy to postnatal and these changes can have a real impact on your emotions. I think we probably all know that hormones can impact on our moods and behaviours, lots of us will see that every month and it may be something that you also noticed throughout your pregnancy. You can also factor in that in this postnatal time your are probably feeling

You might have been imaging this moment for months. Bought all the stuff, been to the antenatal classes, spoke to friends and family about babies, and in the last weeks of pregnancy couldn’t wait to meet your baby and start parenting. Suddenly pregnancy is over, baby is here and you are in the postnatal ward together, recovering from birth, finding out changing a nappy on a newborn isn’t quite the same as the doll you practiced on, and figuring out feeding your baby. Whil

It might feel like a big question – what on earth has happened to your stomach? Your body is absolutely amazing during pregnancy. There are so many visible and invisible changes happening as your baby grows. Some are more obvious – the bump is usually pretty apparent – but others you can’t see. Your heart works harder, your blood volume increases and there is a big rearrangement of everything inside your abdomen. In order to accommodate your growing baby your abdominal musc

This is a topic that comes up frequently in baby classes – how can you help your baby hit that next milestone? Baby development often starts off with all babies picking up key skills at roughly the same time. Smiling, discovering hands, holding toys and finding their toes are mostly pretty predictable. Beyond that it is quite a bit more variable. When it comes to rolling, sitting and even crawling and walking, there is such a range of ‘normal’. For some parents, when they see

Whenever I mention the psoas muscle in classes I tend to find no one has heard of them. Not really surprising, they aren’t muscles we tend to talk about or think about very much. I hadn’t heard of them until I started on my training to teach antenatal classes. Now I know that they play a really important role in your pregnancy and your birth. The psoas muscles sit in your pelvis, with two muscles on either side. They are deep in your body running from the lower spine throug

This is very much the question that every new parent has. Trying to work out what is normal when it comes to baby sleep can feel really difficult. Society gives us a lot of different expectations and these often don't match up to what newborn sleep usually looks like. Even the friendly sounding question of ‘Are they a good baby?’ is a loaded one. What they're really asking is how well your baby sleeps, because in simple times a good baby sleeps well. In reality there are no

When I teach the feeding class to my antenatal course I always ask what their plans or hopes are for feeding their baby. The answers are varied but usually include that they would like to breastfeed or they hope or plan to try to breastfeed. Often they aren't confident they will breastfeed because they know people who have had difficult journeys before. What can you do before your baby arrives to make sure that you can succeed in the feeding journey you want to have? This

Most of the women I speak to find such a difference between a first and a subsequent pregnancy. Not so much the symptoms and niggles (although they can be very different too!) but the mindset, the juggling and, frankly, remembering you are pregnant. In your first pregnancy you are usually really focused on the pregnancy. You know how many days and weeks you are, when your next appointment is coming up, what size your baby is this week, and how they are developing. You ar

When you have your first baby it often takes you by surprise how much your life can be disrupted. You might be fully expecting lots of...

If you are pregnant, particularly nearing the end of your pregnancy, you may have come across the name colostrum. But, what is it and...

Of course the answer will depend a bit on your own personal circumstances but I wanted to write about the options you have for your birth...

I am seeing an increase in parents using apps to monitor their baby’s feeds, sleep, and, sometimes, nappies. But are these helpful or are...

I love teaching my infant feeding session. It is a part of the Antenatal Course and when there is space you can join just for that week....

This age is a really exciting one for you and your baby. There are so many changes and so many new discoveries for you both. It might be...

I have recently had a few conversations where people in class weren’t too sure whether they needed antenatal education. Thankfully they...